“Sieben Freunde” (engl.: Seven Friends”) are a volunteer association based in Bottrop, Germany which CircleUp is collaborating with as part of our work with households in the area. This is an interview between Beatrice, a researcher from CircleUp, and Dorothee and Dagmar from Sieben Freunde.

Beatrice: What is the "Seven Friends" association?

Dorothee: It's a volunteer association that supports families in Bottrop without bureaucracy. The projects arise organically because society and families change, and with them, the problems. The association's sustainability comes primarily from its long-standing work and the genuine connections it has built with people. Our goal is to connect people with each other so that they have a lasting bond.

Dagmar: From the very beginning, we've also been a kind of network. Many dedicated people in the city have good ideas but no way to implement them. Often, you need funding, have to submit applications, and prove non-profit status. That's exactly where we step in as an association. The only requirement is that project initiators become members. Then we can support their projects with our collective capacities.

Beatrice: That sounds like many projects. Can you give some examples?

Dagmar: Gladly. Let me name three. The first is the "Companion" project for families with a relative suffering from dementia. We've since expanded it to include those with chronic illnesses. The goal is to relieve the burden on people in their own homes. Recognition by the health insurance funds and the state social ministry was an important prerequisite for this. With care hours provided for the ill person, family members finally get the chance to do things that are good for them. The group is currently developing a new format for exchange among the relatives.

A second project is our "Reading Land" literacy project. Originating from classic reading tutoring, we've been active for two years now in an intercultural "Reading Land" – in three languages: German, Russian, and Arabic. Four times a year, we hold events on various topics for children aged five to twelve. The goal is to promote the German language, but also to convey that every native language is relevant and valid. In this trilingual space, we create encounters and participation.

The third project is "Family on the Move." It's about counseling families and individuals who find themselves in crisis, especially on weekends or in the evenings. Since all regular counseling services are closed at those times, we offer initial counseling and then refer them to the appropriate specialized services.

Dorothee: Let me add something: In our work, we try to reach particularly disadvantaged families and connect them with nature-related themes. That applies to our "Reading Land" projects as well as to creek hikes. It's about sustainability and enjoying nature responsibly. You don't need to travel far. You just have to look for it. It's a form of sustainable local tourism.

Beatrice: But you're not only active with your own projects, are you?

Dagmar: Exactly. Beyond our own projects, we are well networked within the city community. For example, there's Gallery 7 with Bettina Döblitz, a great figure who repeatedly offers appealing cultural programs. Or the Center for Neurodiversity in Dorsten, where we helped develop and supported founding ideas. That's primarily about high giftedness. But we simplify it: Every person is gifted – but the highly gifted need specially tailored support. Together, we are building counseling structures for Bottrop because parents with exceptionally gifted children face many difficulties.

We are also aiming for a cooperation with the Fritz-Bohne-Haus in Gelsenkirchen, which is currently developing into an inclusion center focused on promoting democracy. So we're reaching beyond city limits because we want knowledge transfer – we want to enrich ourselves, but also contribute what we do elsewhere. Besides two Stolpersteine (memorial plaques) that we now look after, we are also active in the "Colorful Bottrop" alliance for good coexistence in our city.

Dorothee: Also very important to us is having a place in the city where associations can meet. I'm now involved with Bottrop.CEntrale, the new center for circular economy. We're taking part in the design workshops and the opening festival because Bottrop needs such meeting points. This is where initiatives can be born, where people can meet sustainably and free of charge.

Beatrice: Sustainability isn't a core topic in your association's profile. Yet you were among the first to join the circular economy project "bottrop.gemeinsam.zirkulär." How close is the topic to you?

Dagmar: Even if it's not explicitly stated in our description, it's anchored in our attitude. I distinguish two levels of sustainability. One is social sustainability: it's about making contact, getting to know people, being able to get support – but also contributing your own resources. The other is ecological sustainability, which we also practice fundamentally – in our public image and in how we design our events. We have internal swap markets, for example. They've become a bit smaller now, but earlier, when the refugees came, we were more active in that area – they were bigger then.

Dorothee: Yes, exactly. And also the idea of borrowing dishes or avoiding waste at association festivals, little things like not using plastic cutlery. That affects us directly, we can pass it on – and it's something that actually all associations in Bottrop should be doing.

Dagmar: Once a year, we take part in a food bank collection and a Christmas gift packing campaign. We make sure to use sustainable bags – not just the packaging, but also what goes inside. Many things are bought by mistake or were never used. Those kinds of things can be given away. And at our events, we always have a box with a sign: "Please take it if you like it or can use it." On top of that, when working with children and young people, we only use reusable hard plastic cups – no disposable tableware.

Beatrice: May I ask how you came to found the "Seven Friends"?

Dagmar: We've been an association since 2009. We started out as a group of friends. We wanted more than just getting together – and then came the idea of founding an association. It fit right away. Some people affectionately call us the "seven dwarves" – because some of us are shorter, but also because it's a name you can easily remember.

We got to know most of the members along the way. Michael, for example, a teacher with a Hungarian wife, had always wanted to do academic support. With us, he was able to build it up big: For years, he supervised up to 150 students a month with a team of 30 university students.

We're also cross-culturally oriented: Dorothee is married to a Dutch man, I'm married to a Kurdish man, Hajra is a Bosnian woman married to a German. That makes it easier for us to reach into other communities and promote our work.

Dorothee: We also work across generations. I got to know Dagmar when she was doing a project on school refusal – which wasn't taken seriously in Bottrop at the time. Her open, sympathetic manner made me think: You can't go wrong with her.

At the beginning, we trained reading mentors, very classically. But for me, it was clear: I didn't want to spend even more time with children, but with elderly people. That's why I went to a nursing home and read aloud there for years. That brought back the mutual learning. Back then, in the after-school center, I had a group of children who are now over 30, some of whom still ask me for advice in difficult situations. One boy who was very aggressive back then really blossomed there. The conditions in some homes are humbling. The people live isolated, in circumstances you can hardly imagine – and they soak up every drop of being read to.

Beatrice: What does the association mean to you personally?

Dagmar: For me, the association is like a family – an extended family. All members have their specialties, as people do. But we manage to interact constructively, even if someone is annoyed or there are misunderstandings. It's a pleasant, equal working environment.

What we wished for, we've largely been able to achieve: a network without a classic leadership structure. When I say "largely," it's because one or two people still have to keep track of everything, otherwise things get lost. But that doesn't mean these people are leaders. Everyone is equal. Ideas, implementation, development – that's up to each individual.

There are three of us on the board now: Dorothee, Sieglinde, and myself. We make sure the framework is maintained. We don't take on more than that in these roles. I've been volunteering in many different structures since I was 14 – but the "Seven Friends" are my home and family in Bottrop.

Dorothee: Dagmar, with her professionalism, bundles a lot of things. She can implement ideas right from the start, thanks to her many connections. As in a family, you take on responsibility gladly. For me, it wouldn't even cross my mind to say, "Just do it alone." The work is simply fun because it makes you feel effective.

Beatrice: What message would you like to give to people who are considering getting involved themselves?

Dorothee: You can do something good for society as a whole – and thus do small-scale peace work. Whenever I have contact with people that others might think badly of, I think: By engaging with them positively, I'm doing something for Germany. Along with that comes the sense of efficacy, the joy it brings, and sustainability.

Dagmar: I want to give courage. Simply be brave, engage – and know that none of us is perfect. We can complement each other with our strengths, weaknesses, and resources. And at best, we live together in this society – not alongside each other, but with each other.

Dorothee: And we are always interested in welcoming new people who would like to get involved — especially younger ones. Our monthly meetings are open to guests on the third Tuesday of each month. Dare to come along and get to know us.

In this interview:

🔹 Dagmar Kaplan is a qualified educator, systemic counsellor and therapist, and works in crisis and conflict management in schools within Department 40 of the City of Bottrop. She has been involved in voluntary work since the age of 14. For her, the association is a home – a place where she not only fulfils a role, but has also found a family.

🔹 Dorothee Beekhuis is a retired state-qualified nursery teacher who worked for many years as a group leader in a family centre. She loves working across generations and has spent many years reading aloud in care homes for the elderly. For her, the association represents self-efficacy and peace-building on a small scale.

🔹 Beatrice Beitz is a research assistant at CircleUp through the Prosperkolleg e.V. association. She is fascinated by the circular economy because it not only offers ecological solutions, but also strengthens relationships and brings people together — contributing to a good life for everyone.